NSA has the data, but limited ability to use it. An AI can sort the data. Something like Chat GPT can remove the need for a skilled IT to be involved. With such a simple system anyone with access to the system can do investigations as a 1 man operations. Combined with secrecy laws public would have even less knowledge how their privacy is violated.

The learning part of AI is based on/similar to how neurons learn. Once an AI has learned/been trained it stores data and filters for it on the hard drive.

How does a brain work? Data is written in neuron clusters (scientist have been able to find neuron bundles representing concept). The filters are neural connections coming out of those bundles. Brain optimises performance by strengthening commonly used connections and removing old unused ones.

Tained AI + continuous learning algorithm = basic brain even if only comparable to an insect.

AIs understand. Human brains learn concepts by forming a bundle of neurons dedicated to the concept of (lets say) "cat" based on the input of our senses - sight, smell...Modern AI's are designed to replicate the same process 1 to 1 on a software level. If anything they understand basic concepts better then humans.

The big jump right now is AIs understanding the relationship between concepts. Example: "cat" should be linked to the concept of "pet" and definitely not with the concept of "oven".

Problem is there are still kinks in the relationship between concepts part. AI is modeled on the human brain and the human brain is not a perfect system. In theory writing a simulation for the human Id, Ego, and Super- Ego and bundling it into a sentient AI package is quite doable. Making it happen while the foundations are still unstable is practically/near impossible.

#2 have you talked to people? ChatGPT's answers are as good or better then the average person's. Not to mention this is after it got lobotomized to not give answers that can be considered offensive or that sound like the AI has personal oppinions.

AIs like Chat GPT have the complexity of a brain. With Moore's law predicting PERSONAL commercially available computers with computing power equal to a brain coming in 20-25 years. In 3 decades we should have the convergence of software and hardware for sentient AIs.

Moon is worth colonizing since we can put our dirty industry there.
Mars is worth colonizing since it can be terraformed and offers passable conditions for long term habitation.
All other options have limited use - research, mining, refueling...

Those are useful even for solar colonization. 4 we can't use right now, but 1, 2 and 3 are practical. Sending only female colonizers on Mars with frozen sperm and seed handles population and food production. While robots still aren't autonomous they can be piloted by colonizers to do construction in inhospitable for humans conditions.